Christian J.'s Full CD Reviews

Thursday, November 6, 2014

One of the reasons I love Weezer so much is because they are Geeks, Nerds, whatever word you want to use to describe the brainy type. Then they made it big. I mean really huge, with only one album, while maintaining their artistic dignity.

It's not a fast album, nor is it heav. It basically sounds like you'd expect a rock band formed by the male cast of Big Bang Theory to sound, if they were all talented musicians and could sing. However, you can find everything you are looking for on this album. It does get hard, and it does get heavy, and it gets groovy, plus sexy, it swings, and it bops. It's a solid album, with a lot of personal appeal.

The album kicks off with My Name Is Jonas which is a good starter. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but it works all the same. It comes on quick and hits you and then pulls you along. It does the job.

I love No One Else. I love every part of this song, not my mentality entirely, but it's really such a great and singable song. "My girl's got a big mouth / With which she blabbers a lot / She laughs at most everything / Whether it's funny or not / And if you see her / Tell her it's over now / I want a girl who will laugh for no one else / When I'm away she puts her makeup on the shelf / When I'm away she never leaves the house / I want a girl who laughs for no one else / My girl's got eyeballs / In the back of her head / She looks around and around / You know it makes me sad to see her like that / Please don't believe her - she says that for anyone / And if you see her / Tell her it's a hey hey hey hey / I want a girl who will laugh for no one else / When I'm away she puts her makeup on the shelf / When I'm away she never leaves the house / I want a girl who laughs for no one else / And if you see her / Tell her it's over now / And if you see her / Tell her it's over now / And if you watch her go (watch her go) / Watch her, watch her, watch her, watch her! / I want a girl who will laugh for no one else / When I'm away she puts her makeup on the shelf / When I'm away she never leaves the house / I want a girl who laughs for no one else, no one else ". In fact this actually might be my favourite song from this album. It's got a great Punk like vibe to the music and the vocals bring it to a world of your late 50's early 60's Rock 'N Roll. It really just works on so many levels for me.

The World Has Turned And Left Me Here is an album filler to me. The Emos would argue with me, and same with those preppy hipsters who would most likely get on board with them as well, but I hold strong to my opinion.

Buddy Holly was the song that introduced me to Weezer. Their Happy Days video they made was so amazing and awesomely done, especially for that time period, that it's still one of my favourite videos of all time. Not to mention that you can tell that it could easily be cranked into a heavy ass song without even trying. Instead they give it a sound and flair that matches the video almost perfectly.

Undone - The Sweater Song is the perfect counter point to the last song. This is all light one up, sit back, and relax. This is a really great tune and I love the extra production put into it to help tell the story. This is the kind of song that I would have loved to have gotten Frank Zappa's opinion on, because I feel a lot of influence from him here.

I like Surf Wax America, but it's filler. It's really solid and pretty fun, but only when listening to the album.

Yet another song I love. Say It Ain't So is so sexy, and slinky, and tender, and yet has a great hard chorus that adds some great juxtiposition. This is one of those songs that you know was close to at least one of the members of the band. Probably started as a poem, and then was converted into a song.

In The Garage is all lyrics to me, and switch garage to basement. Other lyrics are easily interchangable, but it's the point behind the song. "I've got a Dungeon Master's Guide / I've got a 12-sided die / I've got Kitty Pryde / And Nightcrawler too / Waiting there for me / Yes I do, I do / I've got posters on the wall / My favorite rock group KISS / I've got Ace Frehley / I've got Peter Criss / Waiting there for me / Yes I do, I do / I've got an electric guitar / I play my stupid songs / I write these stupid words / And I love every one / Waiting there for me / Yes I do, I do / In the garage / I feel safe / No one cares about my ways / In the garage / Where I belong / No one hears me sing this song / In the garage / In the garage / In the garage / I feel safe / No one cares about my ways / In the garage / Where I belong / No one hears me sing this song / In the garage / I feel safe / No one laughs about my ways / In the garage / Where I belong / No one hears me / No one hears me / No one hears me / No one hears me / No one hears me sing this song". Basically this song is the perfect capturing of what the teenage years were like for me, and many of my friends.

I think Holiday is the only other song on the album I don't care for. It's too stiff, even though it's supposed to be about going on Holiday, and it has a swing groove. There's some good arranging on this song, and it's well written and played, I just have no use for it.

Only In Dreams closes off the album like a nice little lullaby, sure it has heavy parts, but it's still like a lullaby. It makes sense as the last track, but I think they should have gone with something stronger.

I have no complaints about this album as a whole. I think it's well put together, and it shows the band in a very positive light. This is one of those albums that any band could be proud of, if it was their first major label release.

Friday, October 24, 2014

I love finding weird little compact discs in places where you wouldn't expect to find them. I've mentioned before a company that I worked for, that has now closed down, where I would often find and buy cheap discount albums. One of which that I came across was Metallica The Early Days. It's tracks that are listed as being live recordings, and in a sense they are. The album's introduction also claims the members playing on these recordings are the band's four original members, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Dave Mustain, and Ron McGovney.

Let me start by saying the production on this album is pretty much non existent. It was a live demo recording. There's no production. It's the band playing and it being recorded. That is it. However, to hear the original line up is cool, and to see how little they changed at the core by the time they were recorded as Kill 'Em All, makes it that much more impressive.

This album is labled as having eight tracks, but it only has seven. The Introduction that was mentioned above is actually on Hit The Lights which starts the album. I like the purpose this song serves, but the production kills it on here.

I love Seek And Destroy, and I'm even cool with the version on here. It's clearly an early version, but it totally nails the song home. I love the way they use Seek And Destroy in the start of the Some Kind Of Monster Documentary, to show the passage of time with the band. If I were making an audio copy I would start with this version.

When it comes to Motorbreath I so prefer a Live Shit: Binge And Purge James voice. I hate the high pitch squeals on this track. The sound of those vocals makes the song sound like a bit of a joke about teenage Metal bands, which is what they were, but that's not the point.

There are some Metallica songs I have just never cared for, and Phantom Lord is one of them. It's a good song, but it's to a-typical Heavy Metal for their sound at the time. "Sound is ripping through your ears / The deafening sound of metal nears / Your bodies waiting for his whips / The taste of leather on your lips / Hear the cry of War / Louder than before / With his sword in hand / to control the land / Crushing metal strikes / on this frightening night / Fall onto your knees / For the Phantom Lord / Victims falling under chains / You hear them crying dying pains / The fists of terrors breaking through / Now there's nothing you can do / Hear the cry of War / Louder than before / With his sword in hand / to control the land / Crushing metal strikes / on this frightening night / Fall onto your knees / For the Phantom Lord / The leather armies have prevailed / The Phantom Lord has never failed / Smoke is lifting from the ground / The rising volume metal sound / Hear the cry of War / Louder than before / With his sword in hand / to control the land / Crushing metal strikes / on this frightening night / Fall onto your knees / For the Phantom Lord / Fall to your knees / and bow to the Phantom Lord", just doesn't work for the modern Lords Of Heavy Metal.

The Mechanix is the song that became The Four Horsemen. The alternate lyrics to this song are diggable as a different band playing it. I've always enjoyed the Dave Mustain variation with Megadeth, and this would clearly be the demo to that song. When it comes to Metallica's variation this song is a cool early prototype, like the alternate lyrics to Fuel you can find from live recordings prior to Reload coming out. Also on certain singles.

When it comes to Jump In The Fire they benefitted from Cliff Burton being on the bass on Kill 'Em All, but they lose out by not having Mustaine. Go listen to a version on Youtube from him and make sure one of them if from the thirtieth anniversary show. This version shows a dumbed down (sorry that's not a nice way to put it) bass line, that's way too far forward in the mix.

Like other tracks before this Metal Militia is one of those songs I just don't really dig. It's okay, but it brings down Kill 'Em All, and I hate that it's a closer on this album. Totally wrecks it for me.

I would rate the production as one, but you can hear the bass pretty clear and the guitars do pop, when they aren't totally blended into each other, there's also some drums in there. The vocals can be heard very clearly. That's it. The rest is garbage.

This is an album that you pick up as a fan of the band, and listen to it maybe once or twice a decade. Well, I think I do once every five years, normally in the fall, and then I tuck it away for who knows how long.

Fans only should buy this album. You could give it to a fan as a gift, but it's a collectors gift, not a throw it on and rock it out gift.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Growing up over the years I knew a couple of songs from Grand Funk Railroad, but surprisingly only a few. Which in hind sight sounds odd. They weren't from Detroit, but they are Michiganders (I think that's the right word.)

So, when I found myself working across the street from the music store I frequent most often, I started buying random CDs to check out bands I only sort of knew. I had no clue where to start with this band, so I cheaped out and took the Greatest Hits method. That way I knew at least a few of the songs.

The album opens with We're An American Band. I love this song. I always have, and I always will. It's just such a great party track, that has always made me just want to rock out. I could go into so much more on this song, but most likely you already know this song, or should be checking it out right now for yourself, because something went wrong in your life.

I had to check the liner notes for Time Machine, because this one sounds older, and I can see why. It's from 1969, and it's amazing how different the sound of the production can change in less than four years. That's all that separates the first track and and the second one, but you might think it was decades. However, you can still tell it's the same band.

I did not know this was Grand Funk, but when I first heard Walk Like A Man I knew it right away. I don't remember this one being on the radio, but I do remember hearing it somewhere, more than once. I almost wonder if either my dad or my uncle had owned a copy of the We're An American Band album, and with these two songs being the only representation of that album it does make me want to pick it up.

Some Kind Of Wonderful is just one of those songs that I associate to Christmas parties, and weddings. This is yet another one of those songs I think everyone should know, even if you don't like it, you should still know it.

Shinin' On came out the same year as American Band and Walk Like A Man, but is from a different album. It's one of two tracks from the album of the same name, so it makes me wonder if it was a left over album, from the other session. Especially when you see what the second song is.

Heartbreaker comes from the same album as Time Machine and would be enough to deter me from picking up the album. It's got some great Midwest Blues going on, mixed with a little California vibe, but it's not my thing.

The next track up is Rock 'N Roll Soul, which is from 1972, which shows that the procution sound only took three years to change by leaps and bounds. Also, if there is one thing that can be said about Grand Funk Railroad by this point in the album, it's that they are amazing musicians. I always laugh at a joke from an episode of The Simpsons, in which Homer goes on a diatribe about Rock music, and specifically about this band, and every word of it was true. This song helps back that up all the way.

You may laugh when thinking that this band covering The Loco-Motion is cheesy, but it isn't. This is the best version I have ever heard of this song, and it's totally awesome. This is the other song from the Shinin' On album. I've personally played this song while a DJ at a wedding.

Footstompin' Music is your basic, run of the mill, boogie woogie song. There's nothing stand out about it, but it sure will get your foot tapping.

When I first picekd up this album I wasn't overly fond of Mean Mistreater (live), but it's grown on me, big time. I wouldn't say it's a favourite, but it has such great ambience and flavour that you can't help but love it, if you are a Rock'n'phile. Coined that term here. I will say that this song doesn't sound live so much as recorded live off the floor in a studio. In fact it could easily be mistaken as one of the 1969 recordings.

To me Take Me was ahead of it's time. This sounds like it should have been the hit single for a soundtrack in the 1980's. Even lyrically it has that feel and vibe. This could have been Footloose, if Footloose had been cool and played by an amazing set of musicians.

Bad Time is a skip it song for me. Outside of having this album on, I would never listen to this song.

Musically I'm Your Captain is bit of pure genius. I find it layered and textured in all the right ways, and it comes off as very well skilled. However, I'm not a fan of the song itself. Like I said great song, it's just not my cup of tea. I even enjoy the complexity of the lyrics (okay sort of complex), but the material in those words I find lacking. "Everybody, listen to me / And return me my ship / I'm your captain, I'm your captain / Though I'm feeling mighty sick / I've been lost now, days uncounted / And it's months since I've seen home / Can you hear me, can you hear me / Or am I all alone / If you return me to my home port / I will kiss you, Mother Earth / Take me back now, take me back now / To the port of my birth / Am I in my cabin dreaming / Or are you really scheming / To take my ship away from me? / You'd better think about it / I just can't live without it / So, please don't take my ship from me, yeah, yeah, yeah / I can feel the hand of a stranger / And it's tightening around my throat / Heaven help me, Heaven help me / Take this stranger from my boat / I'm your captain, I'm your captain / Though I'm feeling mighty sick / Everybody, listen to me / And return me my ship / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm your captain, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home, oh / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home / I'm getting closer to my home".

Inside Looking Out is a pretty solid way to finish off this collection. It has a lot of your key Soul and Blues turning points, and riffs, mixed along with a sound and vibe that's easily mistakable for James Brown. This is some very early Heavy, 1970 Heavy, and then there's the jam in that covers the second half of this song. It really brings this album to a good close.

All in all I do like this album, but I'm still not sure if there's any one specific studio album I would buy for myself to try out. At least not based on this mix, because there's just a little from here and a little from there, but no clear pattern to what was the best album to start with.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Sinister Urge holds a special place in my heart because it was my son's lullaby music. I kid you not it was the only album we could put on in the house that would help him fall asleep when he was a toddler. And even though you would think that it might warp him, I would say it had quite the opposite effect. He's more of a little preppy for my likings, but what are you going to do.

I've heard it said that this was almost Rob Zombie's last studio album. There were rumours circling around just after Zombie released his best of package, that he was about to call it quits, and then came Johnny 5 and the rest is history. I can understand why after listening to this album.

The album opens with Sinners Inc. This is more or less a little soundscape, mixed with music to set up a vibe and feel for the album. It's nothing spectacular, but it does the job perfectly.

Next up is Demon Speeding which is a great high paced rocker, that helps fill the album well, but for the most part doesn't do much for me. I'm sure some people love this track, but by Rob's standards it's a little basic. This is a great driving song, but if you are just listening I find the song feels a bit long.

I find Dead Girl Superstar carries on with the same thoughts I had on the last track, but it doesn't feel as long.

The best part about Rob Zombie is you can dance to his music. Never Gonna Stop (the red, red kroovy) is a great example of this. You can bump. You can grind. You can get your freak on and let your dancing shoes do their thing. Also talk about a song that was created to play live. The chorus alone makes this a concert fave. "Yeah / My durango number 95 / Take me to the home / Kick boots / And ultra live / See heaven flash / A horrorshow / Knock it nice / And smooth / Step back and / Watch it flow yeah / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Yeah / The devil ride / A dinosaur / He paint the monster red / So the blood don't / Stain the floor / In out / Real savage show / Skorry as a shot / Came sickness / Watch it flow yeah / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more / Yeah / My durango number 95 / Take me to the home / Kick boots / And ultra live / See heaven flash / A horrorshow / Knock it nice / And smooth / Step back and / Watch it flow yeah / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Never gonna stop me / Never gonna stop / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more / Scream if you want it / Cause I want more".

Iron Head features Ozzy Osbourne on vocals as well. This one's got a little groove to it, but it's pretty standard, even with The Prince of Darkness chiming in on the song.

The one song I always tend to forget about when it comes to this album is (go to) California. I always think of this album as being pretty basic and the majority of the songs are similar, with the exception of the few that really stand out. This song does stand out as well, and is a really good song, and once again you can easily dance to it. This song suffers most because of the song that follows.

Feel So Numb is pure adrenaline, high velocity blood pumping, ultra monster stomping, Heavy. It's not Metal, and it's not Rock as most people would think of it. This is one of those songs that describes the Modern Heavy so well.

Transylvanian Trasmissions Pt. 1 is basically another soundscape. It's cool and gives a great vibe.

When I hear Bring Her Down (to Crippletown) I could never tell you the name of the song. I just think of it as the "Beep, beep, beep" song based on one line. It's nothing against the song, it's just a stock track. A Zombie stock track, but a stock track all the same.

Scum Of The Earth is yet another song that I understand why people like it. It's very White Zombie sounding, but that being said is exactly why I really don't care about this track one way or the other. I love Rob solo, and tolerate his first group.

When I first bought this album it was for one song and one song alone. House Of 1000 Corpses is a beautiful, sexy, dark and dirty song that with thrill you with horrifying delight. That's without seeing the movie, that it belongs to. This song perfectly captures the vibe and feel of a movie that had yet to be released when this album first came out. Let's tell you the folk tale of these nasty people. "She had a corpse / Under her bed / She had her fun / But now he's dead / Hear momma said / Come feed desire / Her brother said / Hey, throw her on the fire / This is the house / Come on in / This is the house / Built on sin / This is the house / Nobody lives / This is the house / You get what you give / I cut the flesh / And make it bleed / Fresh skin / Is what I need / I let it dry / Out in the wood / All your crying / Did no good, yeah / Now you're lying / On the floor / Yeah, you can't / Take anymore / The devil's laughing / In your face / Give me another taste, yeah". It then moves into a sound scape and fades out for a minute or two until it kicks back in with the hidden track Unholy Thee, which is a great mix of Heavy music with movie dialogue inserts.

The two big singles on this album were the best choices for singles (Never Gonna Stop and Feel So Numb), House Of 1000 Corspses is still one of my favourite Zombie songs, but other than that to me this album is pretty much basic Rob Zombie. It's not bad, and is really solid, but it's just so overly predictable.

Scum Of The Earth and Demon Speeding were both technically singles as well, but they pailed in comparison, and were just something to throw out on the radio.

I must mention that I always love the production on a Rob Zombie album, and in this case, Scott Humphrey and the main man himself, do a great job with this album.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The very first Alice Cooper compact disc I bought was Hey Stoopid. If I remember correctly it was the fourth or fifth one I owned. It essentially kicked off the challenge of getting every Alice Cooper album on CD, which in 1992 was easier said than done. I had bought the cassette when it first came out. I had made a ride to the area mall on my lunch break, to pick up this album when I first found out it came out. I was so excited I even let my little sister tag along, and didn't care that I ended up getting caught in the rain. I listened to the album on my walkman over and over for months.

From day one there were very few songs I didn't care for. I loved every track on this album. It reached out to the twelve year old kid so much that the following year when I ran across a copy on CD I snapped it up right away. I picked it up at a place that doesn't even exist anymore, called Windsor's Rocker Connection. It's the same copy I still listen to to this day, and to be fair should have been replaced years ago.

Needless to say this album and I have history. So I'm a little bias, but when I think of this album, and when I listen to this album, I still do it as a kid. I do it as an older kid though, because I have always listened to this album. It was my Alice Cooper album. It was the first new album I ever went out of my way to buy, and I have never rergetted it.

To me the worst songs on this album were all the singles, and it's the album tracks that do it for me. With the exception of the title track. Hey Stoopid is seriously still a song I totally dig. I love every second of this marvel of production. Also, how can you argue with a song that has Slash soloing and Ozzy lending some minor background vocals? I remember Alice claiming this song was sort of his way of telling people to be stupid, and not rush into anything. I totally get that, but instead I found it was more of a wake-up call. It was about being slow and methodical.

I'm sure there are some people that really like Love's A Loaded Gun. I am not one of them. Not my kind of song, and I could do without it being the second track on the album.

One thing that has alway been great about Alice is that he released great albums, where even the filler tracks were really solid. Snakebite is a mediocre song by Alice Cooper standards. It's a basic track that helps fill up the album, but this would have been a hit single for one of the Glam Metal Bands.

Burning Our Bed is one of those songs that cuts a very fine line for me. It's like a Power Ballad, but not totally, but I want to scream and yell a huge "Why the fuck do you keep doing these fucking ballads!?" But, really it's not that bad of a song. It's not my cup of tea, but you know you could sing this one with a group around a bon fire with a few accoustics. Turn it into a whole Hey Jude kinda thing, if you really wanted to. I wouldn't, but you could if for some reason the need took you.

Dangerous Tonight is a classic Cooper album filler track. Not in the sense that it's filler, far from. In the fact this is a great track that I'm sure many other fans enjoy listening to. It's only an album filler because it's not single material. It's not a very radio friendly song, in the sense that it doesn't have the standard kind of hook. This song is more atmosphere.

Were it not for the fact that I love the album's closing track more than any other song from this album, my favourite song on this album would be the biggest sappy song on the album. Might As Well Be On Mars is a song of such lonely heartbreak. Let's start with the lyrics. "The city streets are wet with rain tonight / Taxi drivers swerve from lane to lane / A lonely guitar man playin' down the hall / Midnight blues comin' through the walls / I tried to call you on the telephone / I left it off the hook / Just to hear it ring / You told me you were better off alone / I never knew that tears could stain / I'm on the roof and I'm starin' at the stars / Lookin' down at all the cars / I can see you / In the window of your favorite corner bar / But to reach you is just too far / And I might as well be on Mars / The city seems so old and grey and beat / It closes in and makes me wanna suffocate / And you just live across the street / But that's a billion miles away / You've turned my world into a dark and lonely place / Like a planet lost in space, my light is fadin' / I'd cross the universe to be right where you are / But I'm right in your backyard / And I might as well be on Mars / I might as well be on Mars / You can't see me / I might as well be the Man on the Moon / You can't hear me / Oh, can you feel me so close / And yet so far / Baby, I might as well be on Mars / Baby, I can't fly / If I could I'd come down to ya / Maybe I should try / I'm on the roof and I'm starin' at the stars / Lookin' down at all lthe cars / I can see you / In the window of your favorite corner bar / But to reach is just too far / And I might as well be on Mars / I might as well be on Mars / You can't see me / I might as well be the Man on the Moon / You can't hear me / Oh, can you feel me so close / And yet so far / Baby, I might as well be on Mars". Now, let me break it down for you like this. This is a Blues song as performed in 1991, if you are Alice Cooper and you want to blow the world away. Peter Collins, which is the name of the fine gentleman that produced this album, built one of the most powerful songs I know. I mean this song is all production, and it's just spectacular. Well, that's not really fair. The music in this song is just mind blowing. If you notice the styles and patterns it doesn't take much to figure out that long time friend and co-writer Dick Wagner had a part in this song. Oh, yeah Desmond Child also wrote on this one, so that also means it's going to be pretty fucking cool. Did I mention it's also the longest song on the album. It's rare that Alice Cooper breaks the five minute barrier, but not very often he goes into seven plus minutes. Did I mention this is an amazing song? Seriously, go listen and love.

Feed My Frankenstein, I don't even know where to begin with this one. It's fun live, and really it's not a bad song, but at the same time it's not a great song. But I can't say that with a straight face since Joe Satriani and Steve Vai both played on this track. It was a historical moment. That being said, um, I blame Wayne's World.

Now we finish off this album with a mostly up hill ride to amazing, and it all begins with Hurricane Years. This is one of those songs that should have been a single. It's the perfect timeless kind of track for teenagers. "I got a ticket to to nowhere / I got no respect for the law / I got no use 'cause it's all abuse / It's the cutting edge of the saw / Ain't got no tiime for the future / Ain't got no time for the past / I'm running up a down escalator / I'm going nowhere fast / I'm hanging on like a spider / Blowing in the wind / This storm's gonna tear a hole / Right thru this web I'm in / Thunder lightning / The wind outside is so damn frightening / But it's alright, all right / Stand clear / You're living in the hurricane years / In the hurricane years / I've been thru major destruction / I've seen thru terrorists' eyes / Sometimes I feel no emotion / Sometimes I break down and cry / I need to walk on a wire / I need a layer of skin / I need a preacher breathing fire / To burn away my sins / And I can't help the victims / On the side of the road / And I can't stop the cyclone / That's about to explode / Thunder lightning / The wind outside is so damn frightening / But it's alright, all right / Stand clear / You're living in the hurricane years / In the hurricane years / Turn my eyes to heaven / Watching all the clouds roll by / I see the blood moon rising / I know I'm way too young to die / Thunder lightning / The wind outside is so damn frightening / But it's alright, all right / Stand clear / You're living in the hurricane years / In the hurricane years". Hell, I think it still applies to my life in this day and age. It's like the theme song for those that were teenagers when this album first came out.

Little By Little is one of those songs that gets me based on one simple detail, I love talkbox on a guitar and this song's got it. Not to mention it's really a great middle of the album kind of track. There are people I can see being pretty serious fans of this song and with good reason. This is a really cool guitar song.

Die For You is the only hiccup in what would otherwise be the perfect ending to an album. You could take most of what I said about Burning Our Bed and apply it to this song no problem. Pretty much word for word.

I love Dirty Dreams. It's really a fun Rock song. It's a great little interpretation of a dirty dream.

Wind-Up Toy is the perfect bit of insanity for me. I love scary, nightmare Alice, he's good for a story and a thrill or two, but he's got nothing on the truly mad Alice. I mean the complete display of insanity presented for your enjoyment. The more out of his mind and into the world psychotic malevolence the more I'm begging for it. However, as a counter point this song explains it all. If I were to put together the ultimate insanity album, and give it a narrative, this would be the opening track to give the back story before Alice goes fully off the deep end. Lyrically I've always had a very close affinity with this song, because it's just so raw and soul bearing. It's those moments of clarity that only drive you further and further into the abyss. "Voices come from down the hall / In my room all painted white / I have my bat and rubber ball / I like to sleep with them at night / But now I'm all smiles / The good little shots must be winning / Guess they crank my dial / My motor is stalled / But my wheels are still spinning / Daddy won't discuss me / What a state I must be / Mommy couldn't stand / Living with a wind-up toy / All my friends live on the floor / Tiny legs and tiny eyes / They're free to crawl under the door / And and someday soon so will I / But now I'm all smiles / These good little shocks must be working / I'm so happy now / Look my fingers don't shake / And my head isn't jerking / Daddy won't discuss me / Oh what a pain I must be / Mommy couldn't stand / Having such a wound-up boy / Doctors want to check me / Poke me and dissect me / What do they expect? / Feelings from a wind-up toy? / I don't think so / I'm just a wind-up toy / A wind-up toy / I'm lost in a nightmare / Shiny white halls / Drawing rats on the wall / Solitary confinement / Chained in a cell / Got my own private hell / The preacher crucifies me / Warden wants to fry me / I was never young / Never just a little boy / Daddy won't discuss me / Oh what a pain I must be / Mama couldn't stand / Having such a wound-up boy / I'm just a wind-up toy / I'm a wind-up toy / I'm just a wind-up toy / I'm just a wind-up toy / I'm just a wind-up toy / Wind-up toy / Wind-up toy / I'm just a wind-up toy / Wind-up toy / Wind-up toy / I'm just a wind-up toy / I'm just a wind-up toy / I'm just a wind-up / Wind-up / Wind-up / Wind-up / Wind-up toy / I'm so happy / I'm just a wind-up toy / Wa wa wa wind-up toy / Wa wind wind-up toy / They come here every night / I see them / Don't you see them / Hmm that's odd isn't it / I'm so tired / I'm winding down / You'll have to go now / It's bedtime / Steven". Sadly this is one of those songs that never gets done live, and the one live version I heard never captured the same vibe. I basically look at this as my generation's Ballad Of Dwight Fry.

I seriously love this album. All my bitching and complaining aside this is my favourite album to come out of the 90's, not that there was much competition (technically only one other studio album, one live album with a single new studio song, and a box set). Were it not for 2008's Along Came A Spider, I could have said that this was Alice's last great album.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

I'm not a Skid Row fan, and this album is so totally because of Andie. This album is so uber cocaine eighties Glam Rock. Oh, you couldn't ask for a more perfect example of what Power Rock Pop on coke sounds like. I think you could achieve the same effect slamming three Red Bulls in a row, but back then it was completely powder driven.

The lead off track is Big Guns. This song is the exact kind of song you would expect with that name, released in that time period.

Sweet Little Sister is a good driving song. It's got speed, a pounding rhythm, and really moves at a real heavy clip. However, like most songs you hear in a scene with cars, it doesn't matter five seconds after you hear it.

Can't Stand The Heartache pretty much carries on what I said in the last song, but this one let's girls bop around the house, being all eighties, and you can throw in some jeans and leather, and it's a good time. I will admit I do enjoy the breif solo.
Piece Of Me is a bunch of pretty boys, with a pretty sound, trying to sound all rough and tumble. I really dig the rhythm, and like the way the bass works the back end, but it would sound better if it was buried. Also the solo is total shit.

18 And Life is so cliche of the poor little cast away rough boy, that it's instant panty peeler. Seriously, look at these words and set them to some heavy Arena Rock. "Ricky was a young boy, He had a heart of stone. / Lived 9 to 5 and worked his fingers to the bone. / Just barely got out of school, came from the edge of town. / Fought like a switchblade so no one could take him down. / He had no money, oooh no good at home. / He walked the streets a soldier and he fought the world alone / And now it's / 18 and life You got it / 18 and life you know / Your crime is time and it's / 18 and life to go / 18 and life You got it / 18 and life you know / Your crime is time and it's / 18 and life to go / Tequila in his heartbeat, His veins burned gasoline. / It kept his motor running but it never kept him clean. / They say he loved adventure, "Ricky's the wild one." / He married trouble and had a courtship with a gun. / Bang Bang Shoot 'em up, The party never ends. / You can't think of dying when the bottle's your best friend / And now it's / 18 and life You got it / 18 and life you know / Your crime is time and it's / 18 and life to go / 18 and life You got it / 18 and life you know / Your crime is time and it's / 18 and life to go / "Accidents will happen" they all heard Ricky say / He fired his six-shot to the wind - that child blew a child away. / 18 and life You got it / 18 and life you know / Your crime is time and it's / 18 and life to go / 18 and life You got it / 18 and life you know / Your crime is time and it's / 18 and life to go". The interesting thing about this song for me is the fact that it's under four minutes, but feels easily like it's five. I must give props to Dave "The Snake" Sabo for the lead work on this one.

I think that Rattlesnake Shake should have been a couple of different songs. There are parts of this song that just seem out of place, and makes the song sound disjointed in a way that feels wrong.

Oh how I want to mock, and rip on the next song. If there was ever a song that needed to be mocked by this band it's one of their biggest, Youth Gone Wild. Admittedly it's catchy and has a nifty hook, and you get to yell the bands name at one point, but otherwise, um, yeah, even the solo is a waste on this one. But, like I said there are some great hooks.

Okay I do kind of like Here I Am. It's not a bad track, in the sense that it sounds like filler from Alice Cooper's Trash album. One of the throw away tracks, that sounded like everything else, but with some fun words. This would be a great B-Side if it was done by Bon Jovi, or maybe Motley Crue.

The best par about this album for me is how short the songs on it are. Makin' A Mess, which is such a filler that it's whole point is for me to talk about the fact that every song on this album is under four minutes, most are under three and a half, with the exception of the last two tracks.

So, what's the longest song on the album? It's the big power ballad, I Remember You. This is 5:10 of why I'm not a fan of the music from this time period. Some people like it, but I will pass.

Midnight/Tornado is yet another song on the album I don't mind. I would be fine with this one thrown into a mix. It's got a decent groove to it.

Seriously, I really do not care for the music of this time period and I really don't like the sound of the album. It's pretty much Pop dressed up as Hard Rock. The members of the band have talent and you can clearly hear it. That's the only good part about the production. It's nice and crisp. It's also flat, and you can sense that a click track was being shoved up the drummers ass. I think the band was being held way too tightly to pre-planned tempos, while being jacked full of coke. If they had been given a different producer, instead of just being done all cookie cutter, I may have liked the album a bit more. It really needed to breathe, instead of just vibrate at high frequencies.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

There are many clear differences between certain Type O Negative albums, and that made opinions matter very much based on mood. However, I feel that Life Is Killing Me is their greatest accomplishment. When this album came out I recognized it right away. Every band has that one album, and everything else is just everything else. It's a little different for solo artists.

This ended up being the band's second last studio album, but at the time I really thought it was going to be the last album. It blew my mind when we got one more album four years later, but helped cement the fact that this album was the best of the best.

Thir13teen opens the album, and is a great little instrumental piece. If you look at the liner notes it says that it's from The Munsters tv show, and it might be that I sadly haven't seen the show in forever, but it really doesn't ring a bell. Still, it's a great little track.

I Don't Wanna Be Me is a great upbeat number that really should have been a bigger hit than it was. This song should appeal to just about every human being at some point in their life, at least once."I don't wanna be me anymore / Ever throwing at his home / Two glass houses, twenty stones / Fourteen yellow, six are blue / Could it be worse?.. Quite doubtful. / I don't wanna be me anymore / I don't wanna be me anymore / 1-2 / 1-2-3-4. / Two steps forward, three steps back / Without warning, heart attack / He fell asleep in the snow / Never woke up, died alone / I don't wanna be me anymore / I don't wanna be me anymore / 1-2 / 1-2-3-4. / Please don't dress in black / When you're at his wake / Don't go there to mourn / But to celebrate / I don't wanna be me anymore / I don't wanna be me anymore / 1-2 / 1-2-3-4. / I don't wanna be me anymore / I don't wanna be me anymore". I mean, how can you argue with that?

Less Than Zero starts with a soundscape track that is normal on a Type O CD. It then brings to mind articles I have read over the years about Pete Steele's love for lovey dovey Sixtie's Hippie's music. I use that as a comparison made by Goth, or Metal fans. But this song sounds like the perfect example of that kind of music, and not the kind of song the band typically does on their own. To this day I couldn't sing you a single part of this song, but that's because I hear the vocals as yet another instrument.

Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things) is one of those songs that's great when listening to the album, or even in a mix, but I never go out of my way to listen to it.

I love the song I Like Goils. It's a great upbeat number, that the casual listener might think is homophobic, because people love to throw that around so quick and easily. However, it's actually Steele recounting his many various encounters, when he's been approached by men looking for a good time. "Come on, / Forget the jar of Vaseline / Hey rich-bitch boy I'm not gonna be your queen and yeah / You can drool, beg me and hope / There's no damn way I'm playing drop the soap, ok / I know I'm strange but I ain't no queer / So take your rage and disappear / But I'm proud not to be PC 'cause / I like goils / I like goils / I like goils / Bad goils all over this world / Now I don't know whose ass you've licked / No shit-tongued boy will ever taste my dick / He says "How 'bout no sex, we'll just be friends" / Hey no thanks Pal, I'll stick with lesbians, you're right! / A sexist pig, I guess it's true / I hate all men including you / I don't care what you think of me 'cause / I like goils / I like goils / I like goils / Bad goils all over this world / I'm quite flattered that you think I'm cute / But I don't deal well with compacted poop, so look / If my views make you annoyed / You're just jealous I don't have hemorrhoids, so now / To make it clear that you can't bone me / My tattooed ass reads "Exit only" / I don't care much for sodomy 'cause / I like goils / I like goils / I like goils / Bad goils all over this world / I like goils / I like goils / I like goils / Bad goils all over this world".

...A Dish Best Served Coldly is more in the classic depressive Type O Negative style. It's Peter Gothically pining for an extended period of time.

How Could She is actually pretty bitchin' musically. It's got a lot of groove and hook, then slides into a mellow remembrance of pretty much every female real or cartoon that was on the television in the 60's, 70's and maybe some early 80's. From there it slowly moves into the old school classic grind that's very standard with Type O, and would symbolize a man being worn down, until it comes back with some killer speed, groove and hook. There's a lot to this song musically, when lyrically it's like so many pop culture songs. Madonna's Vogue and Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire come to mind. However, this song is so much more interesting, because it's more than just a pop culture reference song.

It's been a while since I've listened to this album, so I forgot how the album's title track opened. I had to go double check it was the right track. The core of the song is pretty upbeat and has a great hook, and chorus. The opening of the song, on the other hand, would have you thinking that it's a more typical long winded depressing song, but like most of this album you'd be wrong. I also love the joke behind the line "Life is killing me."

Seriously, even at this point in the album you can tell that while various versions of Type O Negative styles are used, and some songs sound exactly as you'd expect from this Brooklyn band, there are so many dynamics and textures to so many of the songs. But the band clearly is much more evolved on this album than you'll hear on any other.

Nettie is another track that I love listening to, but only when the album is on. Like everything else on this album, it's arranged with a lot ov intricacy. I really think Josh Silver's keyboard work sounds great with it's Classical tones and fills.
(We Were) Electrocute is one of the songs on this album I like to sing along with the most. Though I'm still bad with the lyrics. It just has one of those kind of melodies. "We were electrocute / In our has-been 1980's suits / So electrocute / Everyone we knew said it was true / That's when even strangers knew our names / Ten year's later sighed "what a shame" / We were electrocute / To make the point again is moot / Ssssssso electrocute / How on you I've wasted my youth / Your cold eyes of Coney Island sand / Hair dyed the blood of a foolish man / So proud to be by your side / We were a team no one denied / Even though I still miss your lips / You're about as real as your tits". This is one of the most straight ahead songs on the album as well. It does pick up some speed and gets a little heavier as it goes, but not in any complex way, like you find on other songs, on this album.

IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme That) is yet another song that you can't help but sing. At least that's what I think, which is why it's easier for me to call the song by a different name, If You Don't Kill Me I'm Going To Have To Kill You. The only reason I can think it was shortened the way it was, was just to see how many people would be able to get the letters straight when saying the title.

Admittedly my favourite song on this album is Angry Inch, which is a cover of a song, that's performed in a movie about a band with a transgendered vocalist. At least I think that's a fair quick description for Hedwig And The Angry Inch. I've seen most of the movie once and it's pretty good, but I'll take the Type O Negative version of the song any day. Also the greatest set of lyrics I have ever heard since Frank Zappa. "My sex-change operation got botched / My guardian angel fell asleep on the watch / Now all I got is a Barbie Doll-crotch / I got an angry inch / Six inches forward and five inches back / I got a / I got an angry inch / I'm from the land where you still hear the cries / I had to get out to sever all ties / I changed my name and assumed a disguise / I got an angry inch / Six inches forward and five inches back / I got a / I got an ingry inch / Six inches forward and five inches back / The train is coming and I'm tied to the track / I try to get up but I can't get no slack / I got an angry inch, angry inch, angry inch / My mother made my tits out of clay / My boyfriend told me that he'd take me away / They dragged me to the doctor one day / I've got an angry inch / Six inches forward and five inches back / I got a / I got an angry inch / A long story short: / When I woke up from the operation / I was bleeding down there / Bleeding from the gash between my legs / My first day as a woman / And already it's that time of the month / But two days later / The hole closed up and the wound healed / And I was left with a one inch mound of flesh / Where my penis used to be / Where my vagina never was / A one inch mound of flesh / With a scar running down it / Like a sideways grimace / On an eyeless face / It was just a little bulge / It was an angry inch / Six inches forward and five inches back / The train is coming and I'm tied to the track / I try to get up but I can't get no slack / I got an angry inch, angry inch, angry inch / Six inches forward and five inches back / Stay undercover 'til the night turns to black / I got my inch and I'm set to attack / I got an angry inch, angry inch, angry inch". If you were wondering about the music, it's pure chest pounding adrenaline. A perfect counterpoint to this song.

The last three songs on this album are all just to come down off the high of the last track. The first one is Anesthesia, which is just about right. Seriously what a drop after the last track. Though to be fair, I most likely would have scrapped this song from the album myself. There's a part of it I don't mind, but for the most part I find this song the most basic of all tracks on the album. This is the one song you have heard on every other album by this band.

Drunk In Paris is a nice musical interlude. It's really a nice texture.

Then the album closes with The Dream Is Dead. This is the reason I thought the band was done. "Champagne glass of blood and wine / On chocolate hearts alone I dine / Candles weeping waxing tears / Ten for roses each one a year - disappear / Arrows fester in my heart / Each memory another dart / Love and death both colored red / Showing my past, the dream is dead / Another lonely Valentine's Day / I can't believe that things turned out this way / And though I hate to see you go / I know it must be so / Another lonely Valentine's Day / Nobody will break your fall / All for none, yeah, none for all / Nothing's so cruel as the truth / Join the Festival of Fools / Nobody will break your fall / All for one, yeah, none for all / Nothing's so cruel as the truth / Join the festival, my fools / Another lonely Valentine's Day / I can't believe things turned out this way / And though I hate to see you go / I know it must be so / Another lonely Valentine's Day / The dream is dead". Sure you can read them thinking it's another song about lost love, but in this case I really thought it was him singing that he was done with the band. And that aside, because of the content and what not, it was the most fitting way to close the album.

It's because of this album I miss the fact there will never be another Type O Negative album. I would have liked to see how they may have evolved with the rest of the world. Instead we will now have to just remember the legacy they left behind, and honour them by cranking this album.